Two methods are mainly used for programming of a TV program. One is recording programming by a VCR (Video Cassette Recorder) or the like, and the other is on-timer programming of a TV receiver.
For recording programming of a VCR, various manufacturers employ various setting methods. As a general technique, the recording start time and end time are set. A method of preventing a time setting error is disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 6-217219 and 7-193759.
These references disclose a technique for displaying a set time on an analog clock. This makes the set time easy to see.
On-timer programming is a function of automatically turning on a set channel at time set by the user. When the TV is in a sleep mode (the display and sound of the TV are OFF although the main power is ON), the TV is automatically powered on, and the set channel is turned on.
In on-timer programming, the time is generally set as a time interval from the current time. This is because the TV incorporates no timepiece function.
Most TVs incorporate only a subtracting timer that performs countdown for a predetermined time.
In both the VCR recording programming and on-timer programming, the set contents are displayed on the TV screen by character display called on-screen display (to be referred to as OSD hereinafter).
The above-described Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 6-217219 and 7-193759 disclose a technique for making the set time easy to see but no technique for making the set contents themselves easy to see. The set contents displayed by OSD include a set time and channel number. When the user wants to confirm setting or contents of programming, he/she must separately recognize the set time and channel number.
This causes a programming error.
Especially, when a plurality of programs have been programmed to record, displaying the list of the pieces of programming information is insufficient for ensuring good visibility. It is also time-consuming to confirm the programming.
In digital broadcasting, the user can acquire program information. However, in the conventional list-type programming content display, the window display becomes complex if the program contents should also be displayed.